THE BIG STORY

Bringing fun to social justice and diversity learning

The subject of diversity has taken a life of its own in American colleges and universities—it has been talked about in the board rooms and classrooms, in student organizations. In meeting after meeting, few words cause more anxiety on campus than “diversity.” Couple this discomfort with the argument that engaging with diversity is “everyone’s responsibility” and what results is resistance, fear and inertia.
 
How might student leaders develop cross-cultural educational opportunities that get at the core issues of building more inclusive campus communities without calling it a “diversity program?” Our leading speaker on diversity and social justice, Brian C. Johnson, argues for using what he calls “diversity-sneaky” programs which skillfully teach the core competencies needed to fully participate in a global and interconnected society. Interactive games are a great way to introduce these concepts without causing people to run and hide because you used the “d-word.”
 
Brian C. Johnson encourages students to try these three simple activities at your next chapter meeting or as an introduction to your community event. They are great fun, easily reproduced and the best part of al—bring people together rather than dividing them. That is the goal of Brian’s REEL diversity programs!
 
Game # 1 Group Juggle
 Materials needed: Three balls of different sizes
 
Gather students into a circle. Ask if anyone knows how to juggle. If so, have that student give an example. Tell students that they will learn to juggle as a group. Begin by calling one student’s name and tossing the ball to her. Tell the students they must remember two things—who they received the ball from and who they threw the ball to—because they will continue to receive balls from that person and throw balls to that same person. The student who has the ball calls another name and throws it to that student and so on.
 
For the first round, and the first round alone, have students raise their hands once they have thrown the ball. Others must throw to a person whose hand isn’t up. In this way, all students have become a part of the pattern. Once one ball has reached everyone in the group, the group’s basic pattern has been established. Practice until students know it well.
 
Now, start the first ball again, in the same sequence, but add a second ball, and then a third, so all three balls are being thrown in the group’s pattern at the same time.
 
Discuss what helped or hindered the group’s success. Often students need to focus on the cooperative nature of catching a ball—it is both the responsibility of the thrower and receiver for someone to make a catch. Discuss what students did to help their partner catch the ball. Ask students what they can do to make the juggle even more effective. Try juggling several more times to see if the group can get all balls around without dropping any.
 

Game #2 Frozen Bean Bag (A Work Together Game)
Materials Needed: Beanbag for each student (could also use paper plates).

Players place a beanbag on their head, Music is played (preferably lively music that makes you want to dance), and players move to the music. If anyone’s bean bag falls off his head, he must remain frozen until another player notices the situation, comes over, and without losing her beanbag retrieves the fallen one and replaces it in the frozen person’s head. If, however, in rescuing the frozen person, the rescuer loses her beanbag, then she is also frozen until another person appears to rescue them both.

The object of the game is to keep all players engaged in the activity. All players are charged with noticing people who are in trouble and needing help and rescuing them so they can return to play. Unlike so many games in which eliminating others is the goal, the goal here is to keep everyone involved and included.

This game can be played by a very heterogeneous group of players, including people of all sizes, ages, and levels of mobility. The nice aspect of the game is that it demonstrates that everyone is able to be helpful and supportive.
 

Game #3 Judging the Present
Prepare enough small surprise packages so that each student may have one. They should be of varying sizes and appearance. About half of the packages should not be unappealing in appearance. The other packages should be large and/or attractively presented, using such materials as colored tissue, foil bags and ribbon. The packages should contain either a desirable item such as candy, money, or fun trinkets or an undesirable item such as rocks, coal, dog biscuits, inedible food, etc.

Have students select a slip of paper with a number. When a number is called, the corresponding student will come to the table and select a package. (You may start with the number one or the last number.) Explain that when we use images of people, events or issues to make broad generalizations or oversimplified statements, it is harmful and called “stereotyping.”

Ask students, “What do you think or expect will be inside your package, and why do you think so?” After students have stated responses, record the package description with the expectation on a chart, chalkboard, overhead or whiteboard. Then direct them to open the packages. While students are doing so, carefully observe their reactions and write those reactions on a whiteboard, chart paper, overhead or chalkboard. Then discuss the expectations and reactions with students.

Help students to see how they instinctively stereotyped the packages based on their size and/or appearance. In the hope and desire to get the most desirable/best package of all the choices, they used those stereotypes to make assumptions/prejudgment in selecting (act of discriminating) the packages.
 
Brian has boiled down social justice concepts into tangible takeaways for real change on your campus. These games don’t require big budgets, scare tactics or lots of time. Rather than argue about what categories and peoples, spend your time drilling home social justice tools using humor and games that remind them of childhood games. They will be laughing so hard they will not realize that they are actually “learning” about diversity.
 
In the same vein of making learning fun, Brian’s keynotes use popular film to address a number of critical issues, including sexism, bullying, college success, diversity, social justice, leadership and community building. Be sure to visit campuspeak.com/johnson to find out how he can bring his REEL programs to your campus!